Texarkana Retail Clothing Store Closing in Central Mall

A long-standing Texarkana clothing store is reportedly closing its doors for good.

Closing Its Doors

Rue 21 according to Fox Business News and multiple media outlets, Rue 21 has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will be closing over 500 stores nationwide. The teen fashion retail chain that caters to young adults will begin having a going-out-of-business sale until all merchandise is liquidated. This marks the third time the retail chain has filed for bankruptcy, the first in 2003, and then again in 2019.

The store employs 4,900 employees nationwide and is $194.4 million in debt. Rue 21 was best known for offering low-cost affordable clothing and accessories. The reports state that the store has been underperforming due to more competition for shoppers, online shopping, supply chain disruptions, inflation, and stricter lending requirements that led to the store's demise. The United States saw a 58 percent spike in corporate bankruptcies in 2023.

The Texarkana Rue 21 store is currently located in Central Mall and was one of 50 in the state of Texas alone the most in the country.